As the purpose of the assignment on the TOR is given to provide service to assess the Situational Analyses of youth and children regarding the effort to realize the children and women’s right, and youth participation, I and my team mates have conducted.. They have been discussing on different topics, and I have observed the following information about youth and children so for today I want to share this.

The prevalence of harmful traditional practices of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a big challenge for females; especially in the age group from 10-24, in Ethiopia. This problem is mainly found in some regions of the country. In most of the regions, females are circumcised when they are under age of 15. However, the impact of this harmful traditional practice is also casting magnificent problem on the older ones. The practice of FGM is quite different across the regions, especially in the Somali and Afar region, and its problem is very deep in those regions. As I have found the information from the age group 15-18 in Somalia regions, this harmful tradition is the most widespread problem in the rural as well as urban areas. As of the group discussion was among Females from different wordas of the region, 95% of the participants in the FDG are victims of this harmful traditional practice. This traditional practice is carried by locally known women who have lots experience on this FGM. The FGM practice in this local area is quite different from other places where FGM is a traditional belief. In this region genital mutilation is avoiding the most sensitive genital part of the female and stitching with thorn by leaving small opening for the urine and menstruation. The practice of stitch of female genital is unique for Somali and Afar region. During the sexual intercourse period, the male will tear the stitch of her genital body with the dagger to be open. Hence, the female may bleed up to death and she may face severe problem related with her reproductive body. As some participants from the FGD mentioned that they face different problems following this FGM, for example, as one of our informant Fetia said

"I am circumcised and stitched. Hence during menstruation time, I usually absent from the class for a week and during that time I always distressed by severe pain." Some of the major problems mentioned in this regard are Fistula & complications in the sexual lives of the young girls who have gone through FGM as well as complications during birth.

CAUSES of the Problems

As the group mentioned that, the main causes of the problems that have been mentioned in the above are highly related with:

- The social and dogmatic beliefs of the people. Most of the time this FGM is highly correlated with the spiritual beliefs of the local people, especially in the Muslim society of Somali region, the FGM is one of the religious dogmatic practice which is called SUNNI. And we observed from the focus group that most of them were supporting the FGM without the act of stitch.

- In the Somali region, many of females in the group mentioned that, most men do not want to marry a girl who is not circumcised and stitched.

- The local people highly believe FGM as a sign of discipline for females and most females who are not circumcised are regarded as sexually indiscriminate and prostitutes.

- This is because the society does have little knowledge about the harms of FGM and there is no enough movement of awareness creation in the local area.

- Wrong attitude about FGM. The community believe that FGM as it shapes the behavior of females. In some region, there is a Cultural believe; if a girl is not circumcised she will break things which is culturally said: “Set lij kaltegerezech eqqa tisebralech”.

- In the Somali region, it is believed that women who are circumcised will get married easily.

For more information about the FGM complexity you can see “THE DESERT FLOWER” film

WE DO TOGETHER TO DROP OFF THIS PROBLEM!!!

Young in different concept it has its own meaning. In terms of age group most books defined young’s in age between 14 to 24.Some times it may be 30. Obviously People in this age group shared the same behavior. In addition to their bodily growth their mental activity also changed as before. Differently changes from kids and olds. Their way of thinking, talking, acting even dressing is completely changed. In every aspect of their life, young do things energetically. But those people in the age group of young, didn’t perform like young, Can we say those are young? In the other side, people above or below the age group take action like young, do we say those people are not young? So, who is young? In my opinion to be young, beside age, peoples must identify with their activity. Except disability of person Young must think, work and admit his/her mistake actively. Young must generate new ideas and practice it carefully. If you are young, think actively and contribute some valuable thing for your self, your family, your country and your world. Otherwise, you are not young.

Hello Every One

Our universe changes by many things .we can say world is one village mostly through different technology we can share every new information from country to country so we can say our universe is like one village. This is the interesting part of the world. There are other issues like the climate change which can be regarded as threat for our universe

But this is not my today issue my issue is this.

Before a long time when I was primary school student I heard opposite things attract each other but now it is the negotiation which is created with in similar timings which can attract. In short I want to talk about love relation ship between female and male. Opposite sex attract in love then make marriage finally replace generation but now a day some peoples said why? We want to make relation between male to male/ female to female our right. On Ethiopian context there are LGBS but not official. They are found many hidden places and the young male raped either street children or by cheating those children who live with their family. This needs a special attention because it is burning issue.

 “I personally don’t know about husband at that time. I needed to learn and my dream was to be a doctor but I got married when I was grade 4 my husband is very aged. When he marry me he promised my family that he would took all the responsibility of educating me however he didn’t keep his promise. Everyday when it is getting let and darker I will be in a full of stress and I want to run away in the middle of the night. I am not comfortable to sleep with him. But I couldn’t solve this problem, now I have 3 children (2doughter and 1son) I have a big vision through my children I want to revenge my bad life through my children . Currently they are learning for sure until the end of my life they will never ever get married before they complete their education.

When I was 10 years old my family gave me for someone who doesn’t belong to me I consider that my parents gave me for death. At that time I was chilled all I want was to play and to learn I didn’t want to get married. You know my husband was very aged for me so when we make love I feel pain I don’t feel comfort because of this I was infected by FISTULA. Do you know what the next thing happens in my life!! My husband behavior was change and hated me very much after that he returned me to my family. Even my family discriminates me and they gave me one single room for one year which belongs only for me. I don’t want to remember the time that I spent. Now I am very well and I become peer educator for the community in the issue of early marriage.

People often use the word 'GENDER'as a synonym for the word 'SEX' but these are two different terms,with very different meanings.
Sex is the biological differenses between males and femails.
Gender is the set of roles,behaviour patterns,values and responsibilities women and men,girls and boys have learned.or end up playing,in their family,community and n society at large.these gender specific roles are socially constructed and therefore changeable as they depend on historical,cultural,pulitical and social contexts.

Know where you are going!!! If you want to be come self-supporting,independent and successeful,then target on area that is small,well defined and specific in your own head and imprint the idea or goal in your mind's eye .If you want to realize your goal in specified period of time,make step by step plan,brick-by-brick,to lay afoundation and to build your dream. if your goal is clear,bold and targeted on a small,realistic and specific area of need,you can build confidence in yourself and others will follow you.to summarize write down your Goal,make a detailed step-by-step plan on how to achieve them and set a timetable for reaching them.

 

This is wubit from Ethiopian.

There are two types of Abortion
1. unsafe Abortion and
2. Safe Abortion
Unsafe Abortion is defined as a process for terminating unwanted prgrancy either by persons lacking the nesscery skill or in an enviroment lacking the minimal medical standards or both. /WHO/ In this case estimates atlist 78,000 womens passaway every year,This is vary dangere. In no case should abortion be promoted as a method of familly planing.

Safe Abortion should be availabel and accsesable as part of commprensive Reproductive Health care,rathere than offered in issolation from other necessary health and social services. It is also important that women have acsess to safe and effective contraceptive metods, Screening and treatment for sexual transmited infections,Counslling related to sexuall or domestic violence and a number of other services but womens need for safe abortion is the reproductive health issue.

Hi, this is Wubit from Ethiopia again!  I attended a 2-day training on January 5 and 6, 2009 prepared by TAYA (Talent Youth Association), a partner of Advocates for Youth. In case you don’t know, both organizations support a national youth leadership council that I am apart of in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.  Our council is called Ethiopian Youth Council for Higher Opportunities, also known as ECHO.  We mobilize youth, work with the media, and lobby politicians to address priority reproductive and sexual health issues in Ethiopia and improve policies that reflect those priorities. Ephrem Berhanu, our council coordinator, facilitated a training for my fellow council members and I to learn about project management and much more!

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I can do this,and i know i can i have got what it takes and i prove it every day.
I choose to be special,unique,and filled with belief
I have faith Iknow i can do this-i know i can win!
I have made the decision to creat my success.i plan it; I work at it,and i beliven it.
I choose to be successful-as an individual,as a partener and as amember of my team!
I have made the decision to min-and nothing can stop me now!
I refuse to let anything get me down. i keep my attitude "up"and i keep going for it!
I choose to have apositive,healthy attitude about my future and success.
my attitude is my choice,and i choose to feel great,believe,in myself, follow my lplan,and go format goals!
I have faith!I believe inmyself,i believe in the work,i am doing,and i believe in the future i am greating for my family and myself, i have faith!
I do everything i need to do to make my future succeed.
I have choosen to win-rightnow,and every day.Ihave faith.I believe and Isucceed!
I am a winner-and I am wining right now!

In the 15^th International AIDS Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) was prepared in Dakar, Senegal.  For the programme, we were all coming from different African countries.  The programme started on November 29, 2008 through December 2, 2008. The Pre-Conference program focused on youth issues.  I attended the conference as a member of the Ethiopian Youth Council for Higher Opportunities (ECHO) with my fellow council member, Fuad.  We  are participating in ICASA as a part of the International Youth Speak Out (iYSO) Project and two Nigerian youth are here with us from their national youth leadership council that is supported by Advocates for Youth.  In the Pre-Conference, the youth program is very interesting.  Every program is coordinated and facilitated by youth and SOO many issues were discussed!

 

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